Upstate NY tracks from the past.... [Archive]

JohnBoy72

January 8th, 2007, 8:54 PM

Ok, I just got off the phone with the former owner of A&S Hobbies (Fulton, NY)...the track that became Hals and now is Redneck RC....I know Jan P, Jim C, and Shannon P are on here...just got into contact with MR.KRP...now I would love to hear from some of the guys that ran in North and Central NY back in the 90's. I raced at A&S Hobbies, made a couple of trips to Competition Corner (Mattydale, NY), some of the A&S regulars went up to Watertown to race there "Derbybullring" :D , etc....I'm better with faces so forgive me if I mess up the names...

What happened to Tony Buffa, Cos, Randy Dumas, Mike Cyrkiski (<--I know I screwed that up), that little kid (think his name was Mike) that whooped everyone's butt....etc.

sheriffM1

January 8th, 2007, 9:36 PM

twisted

January 8th, 2007, 9:40 PM

tony has been racing carpet over at walts this winter. i raced back in those days i might know you. i raced at coz's alot.

the little kid that whooped everyone is tommy kneave. hes not so little any more.

JohnBoy72

January 8th, 2007, 10:07 PM

Coz had a big race and my dad and I went. He didn't know if Coz was going to let him run or not because he put a new body on the car or something. All I knew was he said there was a possibility of me running. I was disappointed all the way up til a kid from B-Ville let me run his back up car. Mike C (don't want to jack up his last name again) told me to pull the car in...he set the car up and it was fast! I had a pinon fall off and had a dogbone problem, Shannon was helping being my pit man...I lost a lot of laps but man I came back and at the end of the race, I made up a just about all my laps....I remember some of the guys were pissed because I was passing everyone trying to get back on the lead lap....that was my Competition Corner Highlight reel.....

Rippin

January 12th, 2007, 1:00 PM

Hey John, my kids and i started racing in 1991. We started over at GP Racing in Rome N.Y. It was a carpet track back then and it is again. The building was sold to different businessess after Greg went out of business. It came back around to be purchased by CRC and is a great racing faculity. Along with the carpet track they have a HUGE!!! outdoor off road track. it is a great place to race.

I remember A&S, and the other tracks that followed there up to todays Redneck. Three of the Competition Corner tracks, Gamlens, Walts, Roy's over in Constantia on rt 49, ( We used to have about 15 "oldies cars" there on thursday nights. ) along with the EDM's and trucks.
I'm sure our paths have crossed somewhere. My two sons are Mark and Jason. ( and yes they were both faster than me :-) ) i can't remember them all but i seem to remember that there were 7 tracks going when we started. Three in the Albany area that we ran at as well as P.A.

Did you race big block or sportsman?

JohnBoy72

January 12th, 2007, 1:52 PM

I ran offroad trucks, EDM novice, and slot cars at A&S...I was a little younger in those days. I think I ran with a kid named Jason that had the only Losi or was it a Traxxas ....too long ago.

Mr.KRP

January 14th, 2007, 12:26 PM

I ran offroad trucks, EDM novice, and slot cars at A&S...I was a little younger in those days. I think I ran with a kid named Jason that had the only Losi or was it a Traxxas ....too long ago.

wow John I remember Alans ( A&S) slot car tracks....He had a drag strip and an oval...correct?....I have pics of us down at A&S in the pits.

We used to go to A&S almost once a month some times twice and try to take two van loads. Alan was a Great Track owner...and I enjoyed racing with everyone there.

I remember a guy taking one of my cars and lettering ( All Hand Cut Vinyl) it up like Bob McCreadie (Kinney Car) and he had all the nerf bars chromed plated from a plating business in Syracuse. I was so awsome when I first seen what someone could really do with
one of my Cars.

I raced at Cos's track as well in Mattydale. He had the best track both indoor and out door.
He was also a great driver as well with KRP EDM's he as well showed how he could make a few things trick on his car....I was impressed with his skills for making things from nothing.

Cos showed me a few cars he made...all I can say is awsome...when I raced at any track in NY and Cos was there...he was usually the guy to beat.:)

JohnBoy72

January 14th, 2007, 12:41 PM

Yeah, Chris Lane used to call me "Jumpin Johnny B" because I didn't like to lift! Hey it was a slot car, I figured it would hold the turn!:D

Coz's inside track at the theater was the most beautiful track I have ever seen. The banking was crazy! I rolled in turns 3 & 4 and went up over the wall...I thought for sure I broke something...

One thing I never could understand was Walt's inside track during the 90's...that track was smooth to run on but it had some pretty deep cracks in it....I still can't figure that one out.

I made a post under general D.O about making a track here...I can only hope I can take from what Coz told me about track prep and the examples from all the NY tracks I visited when I was a kid.....

Mr.KRP

January 14th, 2007, 12:53 PM

John I'm sure you will do well in building your track.

A side note Alan used to tell me that Cos took a trowel to his out door track.....and this track was so smooth they were running 1/2 th scale EDMS.....I was in heaven there and I told Cos after getting my trophy that day that I wished I lived right near ...cause I would be here every week and I know all the guys from Ontario that came that day loved the track as much. I think we all felt bad going back to our Local track here in the North after being spoiled on such a grand track.

I can remember putting in my 15 turn twister and using all the power I could muster out of my then 1400's lol ( 7cell packs for our mods) 6 cells for our sportsman class EDM KRP.:)

John where you ever there at A&S when all the Canadian guys where there to race?

JohnBoy72

January 14th, 2007, 1:14 PM

Yeah, Coz told me he would use a push broom and sweep up all the pebbles (loose dirt) and then put it in a bucket. Then he'd mix it with water to get a nice mud then get on this hands and knees and work the track with a trowel filling in any holes, cracks, etc....He worked hard with a contractor to get the dirt he wanted for the track and didn't let any of it go to waste.

I remember when you and Alan were working out the Candian-NYer partnership thing...and I remember seeing your cars on the track. I remember you coming down but I don't believe I witnessed the actual races... We only lived in Fulton for 2-3 years then moved back to Watertown.

Mr.KRP

January 14th, 2007, 2:05 PM

Thanks for sharing John...its cool to hear about the good ol' days. Did Alan ever let you try a KRP EDM? Anyways glad you were able to get a hold of Alan.:)

twisted

January 16th, 2007, 3:04 PM

i can say coz was one of the best track builders in the north east.i recently ran into him at the Billy Leader race.still the same old coz. hes actually thinking of getting back into racing.

Mr.KRP

January 16th, 2007, 4:00 PM

i can say coz was one of the best track builders in the north east.i recently ran into him at the Billy Leader race.still the same old coz. hes actually thinking of getting back into racing.

Thats awsome I always enjoyed racing with Coz and I totally agree his track was the BEST!:)

wait a minute

January 17th, 2007, 6:57 PM

Tony Buffa far as i know as been running full size cars.Runs Brewerton Speedway for what ive seen.Was the man in the dwarf cars for yrs there,has went to IMCA mods and have seen his name in the results for the BB mods also.

tony is now a hot shoe top of the line carpet oval racer and road course racer. he races in the upstate ny area. he was even sporting a new road course body that looked simular to a vw he ran on dirt about 15-20 years go...lol

Rippin

January 18th, 2007, 11:24 AM

Coz's track was the only track that i've ever been to that had a light display board for radio frequency instead of the usual clothes pins. yeah, i miss those days...

shoemaker

January 18th, 2007, 2:33 PM

Back in the day, Mod Stock Raceway had the hot set-up, The race cars all used a colored ribbon on their car for scoring. The results were hand put in the computer using a caller. The Oldest RC living Driver, Dave Lawrence could call 10 different callers and announce the races at the same time. He also was prone to not doing to much maintaince on his racing cars and would on occasion run his cars at wide open throttle for the whole race by throwing his car on the track when the buzzer went off. You dont see that done anymore. Those were the days.

wait a minute

January 18th, 2007, 2:40 PM

Coz's track was the only track that i've ever been to that had a light display board for radio frequency instead of the usual clothes pins. yeah, i miss those days...

john, u dont need that with todays technology..come out of the dark ages..lol. thats why they make spektrum...lol

Rippin

January 28th, 2007, 2:42 PM

john, u dont need that with todays technology..come out of the dark ages..lol. thats why they make spektrum...lol

sure, sure for you guys that have that "checkbook racing" syndrome...:D

Earl

January 28th, 2007, 5:29 PM

Started racing in Elmira, NY was in some old barn back in 91 that use to grow mold on the floor doglegged oval, real tight turns

Had a box stock RC10 with a Parma AMC Gremlin body, boy did I suck back then

wait a minute

January 28th, 2007, 11:25 PM

alot of tracks and hobby shops in the ny state area have come in gone. just to name some are:

samon river hobbies..pulaski ny
gamlens rc speedway..cicero ny
A&S hobbies/ hals hobbies/ hackr's hobbies/ fulton ny
rc hobbies..constantia ny
rc competition corner..mattydale ny
hotspot hobbies..auburn ny
t&t raceway..borderline ny& pa border..great bend pa
c&b raceway..binghamton ny
speedworld..chinango forks,ny
gp racing..rome, ny
fountain raceway...rochester,ny
mtw raceway...cato,ny
bill meyers..oswego,ny
ringwood junction rc raceway..dryden ny

minature grand prix, fairmount ny

romac...mattydale ny..club racing in northern lights mall

and i am sure there are others but i cant think of them at the moment.

wait a minute

January 28th, 2007, 11:37 PM

sure, sure for you guys that have that "checkbook racing" syndrome...:D

ok...remind me next time when u take out that checkbook and write something out for your precious corvette you have and lets see whose got it bad..lol:)

RUSSELL8

February 3rd, 2007, 2:28 AM

i saw randy dumas tonite at chipmunk hill , he said he hasn't raced in a couple of years but is doing well

dannyeight

February 4th, 2007, 2:36 PM

Does anybody remember the dirt oval track next to the Miniature GranPrix in Syracuse?
I remember some great Rc 10 sprint car battles with Coz and Bruce... Walt & Jan used too race then too!!! Great track!!!

slacker1

February 16th, 2007, 11:51 PM

Man all you guys are making me remember when i started racing just outside of rochester NY, actually in victor NY had a great dirt oval we used to race started out with a tamaya falcon, and then quickly changed to the rc10gt graphite that was the hot ticket back in the day, with a (imbarassed to say) hot pink edm body i painted myself in like the 7th grade. then we started racing on wednesday nights, i think it was at the live stock auction house, on 5 & 20 just outside of canandaigua anyways it was a blast and 20 years later here i am still at it. what an awesome hobbie!!!!!!!!

wait a minute

March 10th, 2007, 11:46 PM

fingerlakes is still going today once the snow melts. it is now being run by greg areford and postman tom. they do a great job there but just cant make it there on wednesday nights. i hope to make a couple of the weekend specials they have planned over the summer.

the Legend

March 11th, 2007, 12:39 AM

billy

March 11th, 2007, 8:28 AM

You forgot Brockport International Speedway in Brockport,N.Y. Outdoor dirt oval was banked with a 200' race line. Indoor asphalt oval also banked and about 190' around. We ran all types of RC10 type cars on both tracks.

Also the track in Hartsville and the one in Cobleskill.

brian - hartsville was the third track in that area, the 1st was in arkport and the 2nd was in bishopville, not counting the one in conkey's side yard

there also was a track on rte 14, right next to the road, south of geneva

the Legend

March 11th, 2007, 8:45 AM

Did John Klue operate the track on rte. 14?Or just the indoor track?

And nobody has mentioned Rochester Raceway,R& S, High Acres, S&S in Batavia,or RC Fantasy.

the Legend

March 11th, 2007, 8:56 AM

And Clarkson RC aka "the Beach".

cnyrcer

March 11th, 2007, 11:50 AM

John Klues track was Seneca R/C in Romulus...as well as running FingerLakes(Livestock)..and he was a super nice guy!!

shoemaker

March 12th, 2007, 8:58 PM

How about the dirt track and asphalt in Ovid, NY and the High banked Plywood track in a huge barn in Ovid NY that also had a complete hobby shop. Also The High Acres tracks that were in Fairport NY with a Quater scale dirt track also.One of the most popular tracks of racing. Then we had a speedworld indoor high banked plywood track that would suck the tires right off you car sub 3 second laps. Boy was that a crazy track to drive as the banking would whip your car to the top so fast you could not even blink, or your car would be scrap. And dont forget the 3 tracks all dirt in Macedon,NY owned by the real Legend of r/c racing Dave Lawrence. Plus Little "o" and Joes raceway in Lockport,NY and Creekside speedway just North of Lockport,NY. Plus the KING of asphalt tracks in Hilton,NY a true 1/10 mile with pit road and run all types of cars 1/10, 1/8 and 1/4 scales. There must be more in the western NY area. There was also a very large DIRT OVAL and I mean DIRT in Mt Morris, NY that was next to a party house and was a sucken track with the racing surface 1 foot below the ground level and you car could not be seen some times on the back straight as they did not have a very high driver stand. This track was over 300 feet around with about 30 laps in 4 min. Those were the days.

wait a minute

March 13th, 2007, 1:30 AM

John Klues track was Seneca R/C in Romulus...as well as running FingerLakes(Livestock)..and he was a super nice guy!!

i remember running there once or twice in romulus. pretty nice facility but didnt like the idea they used calsium on the track. that stuff can cause havick on electronics.

wait a minute

March 13th, 2007, 1:35 AM

i am also forgetting jeff ruperts track which i dont remember the name for it at the top of my head but the dump comes to mind.

wait a minute

March 13th, 2007, 1:39 AM

You forgot Brockport International Speedway in Brockport,N.Y. Outdoor dirt oval was banked with a 200' race line. Indoor asphalt oval also banked and about 190' around. We ran all types of RC10 type cars on both tracks.

Also the track in Hartsville and the one in Cobleskill.

i dont recall ever racing on the dirt at brockport but they had one ausome inside asphalt/carpet track.

Mike Conkey's track in hartsville had the best clay ive seen anywheres in NY State. to bad that track isnt still going. i guess its now a housing complex or a parking lot. i cant remember.

the Legend

March 13th, 2007, 8:51 AM

Rupert's track was High Acres and opened after R&S closed.

Bulldog_Wally14

March 13th, 2007, 9:27 AM

I don't think there's a housing complex or a parking lot anywhere in Hartsville!

Bulldog_Wally14

March 13th, 2007, 9:46 AM

Todd Putnam

March 13th, 2007, 12:30 PM

And just to remember some of the eastern NY tracks:

Rapid Transit (indoor & out)
Rug City Racers (indoor & out)
Cobleskill/Warnerville
Pete Willis' (World's Best)
Hoags Corners
Freleigh's
Glove City R/C
BBS Speedway

WB's track behind the hobby shop, Top Of The World in the North Greenbush and also the CDRC track at the East Greenbush bus garage...
________
Brilliant_girl (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/Brilliant_girl/)

FRED

March 13th, 2007, 5:07 PM

Bulldog_Wally14

March 14th, 2007, 8:50 AM

Fred, that was Pete Willis' track. One of my favorites.

JohnBoy72

September 15th, 2010, 9:38 PM

Time to bring this thread back from the dead. I've been talking with Alan Lane for years and believe I'm about to finally purchase some old KRP cars. Wife thinks $400 for a couple of cars is a bad investment. Women!

Rcer19

September 15th, 2010, 9:52 PM

Ahh The Dump, i remember Billy got me my 1st "garbage plate" there

teopro27

September 16th, 2010, 11:27 AM

shoemaker

September 16th, 2010, 8:14 PM

I remember a lot of the Rochester drivers packing up our trailer and going to the fall 500 lap race at the Grand Prix dirt oval running rc-10 cars with resister speed controls and SMOKE coming out the back window of the Mud Bus cars for the whole race. We were using the Parma double resister with expoxie and I still remember the smell. Smoke all around the track but the cars keep on running. It took about a little over a hour to run 500 laps. Also the thing I remember most was the back straight wall. It was a Steel I beam. Those were the good old days. What year was that 1980?

Bulldog_Wally14

September 22nd, 2010, 9:37 AM

I wish those tracks still raced, we had life by the balls back then!

Those were the best of times for sure.

Flaming diff rings, the transmitter punt thru the ceiling tiles, flaming burnouts, giving Jay a hand with the pizza @ Cobleskill, club 58, RT newsletter (w/ Fred's tech tips), 1-1/2" of stagger!, "They cut him off at the knees!"...I could go on and on......

Todd Putnam

September 22nd, 2010, 10:22 AM

Those were the best of times for sure.

Flaming diff rings, the transmitter punt thru the ceiling tiles, flaming burnouts, giving Jay a hand with the pizza @ Cobleskill, club 58, RT newsletter (w/ Fred's tech tips), 1-1/2" of stagger!, "They cut him off at the knees!"...I could go on and on......

Man I miss those days. I remember when Gary Gnu 'graduated' me from a 12 tooth to a 13 tooth pinion (yep - 32 pitch) @ Rapid.

RT Newsletters with the Fred's Tech Tips were awesome. (Now Peek busts balls on the net, and his illustrations are now Youtube clips)

I used to love commentating with Fiz @ RT - not sure if the racers appreciated our sarcasm, those were good times!

rob1

September 22nd, 2010, 3:30 PM

How about Walt's old track and Skaneateles track.

ovalace

December 1st, 2010, 9:39 PM

i liked going to eagle1 in watertown about 5 years ago, tight little track, small building but the racing was awsome! the only race director i know that doesnt need a pa system or bullhorn.. lol!

i hate to think it but chico's outdoor track may be a thing of the past, i absolutely loved racing there.. the surface, lighting and drivers stand was all awsome! i like the way we would pit around the track and bring e-z up tents and our own tables and cheek's would run power to keep us all happy. oh.. and the 4th of july race/parties.. lol! good memories ;)